Just arrived and feel like a deer in headlights! (Austin: fit in, apartment complex) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

audrey2 · 08-10-2007, 04:04 PM

I just arrived from Charlotte, NC. I had to leave ahead of my husband, because my new job starts Monday and our house has not sold yet back in NC. I may be without him for a while, and I don't know anybody. I admit to being a little shell-shocked, but I'm sure I'm going to love it. My husband's flying out to visit me and keep me company IN two weeks FOR two weeks. I get to stay in the lovely 78703 zip code in Tarrytown in the home of some family friends who are vacationing in Maine until October! After that, we'll (or I'll) get an apartment and then a house. Any suggestions for me to get myself oriented? What would you do if you were in my shoes? I've been exploring (just driving around), to Maudie's (yum!) and to the grocery store. That's about it.

TheHarvester · 08-10-2007, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audrey2

I get to stay in the lovely 78703 zip code in Tarrytown in the home of some family friends who are vacationing in Maine until October! After that, we'll (or I'll) get an apartment and then a house. Any suggestions for me to get myself oriented?

First, you're really lucky to be in Tarrytown, so my sympathies are limited.

I know, it's hard to move to a new place no matter what the house is like, and you're dealing with a new job and the absence of the family and your familiar surroundings, but honestly you're in the best place you could be and I'd recommend meeting your neighbors and doing social things until you find someone you can click with. We all need other people and that's probably the main thing that will help you feel more "at home."

The downtown Whole Foods is a great place to meet people. Just chatting up the employees can be a lot of fun. If you don't like one of them, move on to the next one. Start up conversations. I've found that a large percentage of shoppers there tend to be at that store partly for the experience of BEING there, so it's easy to strike up conversation unlike in a normal grocery store where people have an agenda and time constraints.

Have you been swimming at Deep Eddy or Barton Springs? Those waters are restoring to the soul.

If you're a church-goer, then that should be one of your top priorities, finding the right church.

The Austin Craigslist is one of the most active in the world, so check it out for social activities but watch out for all the pervs.

There are also several other social networking sites but I don't know anything about you or what you're really needing and wanting so it's tough to respond helpfully. I'd offer my own friendship but that would just sound creepy!

readymade · 08-10-2007, 07:28 PM

I'm sorry if this was covered in another thread, but: how friendly are people (in their 30s) in Austin? Compared to, say, Los Angeles. My husband & I are planning to move there and we don't know anyone. How easy/hard is it to make friends?

OntheMoveAGAIN · 08-10-2007, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by readymade

I'm sorry if this was covered in another thread, but: how friendly are people (in their 30s) in Austin? Compared to, say, Los Angeles. My husband & I are planning to move there and we don't know anyone. How easy/hard is it to make friends?

Sometimes I wish there was a group for expats to meet up that moved here to Austin.
Being in my 30s I do find a lot of people have formed their "cliques" at my age already and it's really hard to just find a couple of friends to hang out with and barbeque, go for drinks or just plain have a chat with on the phone.

Please don't misunderstand me, I don't want to talk with other expats to complain about what is not here or what I don't like.....just simply some folk to hang out with and laugh .

T.

equus007 · 08-10-2007, 10:12 PM

We are the friendliest people this side of the Canadian border but we are blunt and political and this turns people off sometimes.

There are really two 30+ groups in Austin. Hipster 30+'s and "Normal" People. We have a large population of "artsy" adults that never got out of school. For the Hipsters Austin is a real easy place to meet new people. The norms are a bit tougher. It helps if you drink.

Good places for normal folk to go to meet other normal folk:

The Draft House
Whole Foods/Central Market
Zilker Park: lots of activities for everybody and Barton Springs as well
Town Lake
Dog and Duck
Festivals: we got lots...take your pick
Round Rock Express games
City Council Meetings(jk...unless you want to see our real freaks)

readymade · 08-10-2007, 10:38 PM

What's "Dog & Duck"? Is it a bar? Or a place where dogs & ducks play together? God, I hope it's the latter 'cause that would rule.

Oh, and thanks for your responses. That's good to know. I've lived in Ventura, CA for 3 years now and have yet to make any friends. I don't THINK it's me because I've never really had this problem before (and I have friends in LA). There's just nothing to DO here!

Case in point: It's 9:37PM on a Friday night and I'm posting comments on this forum. And that's probably the most exciting thing that's going to happen to me tonight in Ventura. No offense to this forum, of course, heh.

equus007 · 08-10-2007, 10:40 PM

Dog & Duck is a bar but there are several dog parks in Austin and one area that has both dogs and ducks(town lake)

TheHarvester · 08-11-2007, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by equus007

There are really two 30+ groups in Austin. Hipster 30+'s and "Normal" People. We have a large population of "artsy" adults that never got out of school. For the Hipsters Austin is a real easy place to meet new people. The norms are a bit tougher.

You're hilarious! I suppose there's some truth to what you're saying but I hope you wrote that while winking. (That's "wink" with an "i", not an "a", don't even go there...)

Didn't you leave out the largest group of 30+ people in Austin, the "I used to be hip, now I'm just a schlep who doesn't know what he's doing any more." That would be me. Old slackers. People too old to be hip but too young at heart (AKA "immature") to fit in with the mature working crowd. We accumulate here in Austin like the piles of leaves in autumn. Feel free to rake us up and toss us in the compost.

readymade · 08-11-2007, 10:19 AM

Yeah! Where do the "too old to be hip" people meet? That's the crowd I wanna get with!!

Um, seriously.

TheHarvester · 08-11-2007, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by readymade

Yeah! Where do the "too old to be hip" people meet? That's the crowd I wanna get with!!

Um, seriously.

My apartment complex would be a great place for you. We're stuck in the 1970s here, with a wide range of ages but plenty of people in their 30s and 40s who seem quite content to just live from day to day. We hang out together, help each other out, leave each other alone, it's a live-and-let-live community of older not-very-hip-and-not-very-professional people who get along great and we're within walking distance of everything you could possibly want.